Miami (Fla.) was never the same once Ken Dorsey graduated and Brock Berlin moved in. Southern Cal never recaptured the magic once Matt Leinart left and John David Booty followed. Florida plummeted once Tim Tebow left and John Brantley took over.

Make no mistake, there were other factors in the demise of each of those programs, but all three were recruiting as well or better than any other school at the height of their success — but couldn't continue to play at the elite level without an elite quarterback.

Sean Maguire and John Franklin will compete to back up Jameis Winston.

The Coker file

Coker, a redshirt sophomore, appeared in eight games last season, mostly mop-up duty. His season ended with a knee injury Nov. 9 against Wake Forest. He was 18-of-36 passing for 250 yards and an interception.

Coker's high school coach, Steve Mask, told AL.com that Alabama coach Nick Saban visited Coker on Tuesday. Coker and McCarron attended the same high school in Mobile.

Coker would have two seasons of eligibility for his next school.

A three-star prospect out of high school, Coker redshirted his freshman year and played sparingly in 2012.

"Jacob is a great athlete, 6-4, 6-5 and 230," FSU QB Jameis Winston told AL.com. "Jacob can go anywhere and start in any program."

This brings us back to Alabama, where despite the "game manager" narrative that has stuck to Saban quarterbacks, the Tide isn't winning three of the past five national titles without one guy currently on an NFL roster (Greg McElroy) and another potential first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft (AJ McCarron) leading the way.

When Saban says "game manager," he doesn't mean some flunky handing off and getting out of the way. It's the same definition used by NFL scouts: A game manager is a guy who can lead your team, and not flinch in third-and-make-a-play.

A guy who knows where to go with the ball and can make every throw; who knows what play to get into when he walks to the line of scrimmage and sees the current play call won't work against the specific defense. That's a game manager.

And Alabama couldn't be farther away from that with what it has on the current roster. To be blunt, there's no one on the Tide roster right now who can scare SEC defenses. There's potential (freshman David Cornwell; rising redshirt freshman Cooper Bateman) and there's a guy who has been in the system for four years (rising senior Blake Sims).

But there's nothing close to what Coker could bring. Earlier this year, Florida State cornerback Lamarcus Joyner was asked about the rise of Winston from redshirt to then-Heisman Trophy hopeful. Joyner said Winston was routinely giving the first-string defense fits as a scout team player.

Three days before the BCS National Championship Game, Joyner was asked about Coker — who nearly won the job over Winston in fall camp — and if he could tell what kind of player Coker could be from his practice habits.

"Somebody," Joyner said, smiling, "is going to get a hell of a quarterback with Jacob."

That somebody better be Saban. Or the Alabama dynasty that has been thriving since 2009 will take its first legitimate step back.

AL.com reported that Saban has already visited with Coker, and that Coker is on target to graduate in May. Four years ago, Saban let Coker — Mobile, Ala., native — get out of the state and sign with Florida State.

He can't let Coker get away this time around — the very future of his program may depend on it.